Peirce Mill Water Wheel - Washington, D.C.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Marine Biologist
N 38° 56.419 W 077° 03.110
18S E 322171 N 4312155
Peirce Mill, located in Washington, D.C., USA, was built in the 1820s and operated commercially until 1897. The National Park Service recently replaced the mill's old rotting water wheel with a new one.
Waymark Code: WMCZBE
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 10/29/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 13

The Peirce Mill, also known as Pierce Mill, is an historic mill building located in Rock Creek Park, at Tilden Street and Beach Drive, Northwest, Washington, D.C.

History

Issac Peirce built the mill either in 1820 or 1829. The United States Government bought the mill as part of Rock Creek Park in 1892. Peirce Mill was restored as a Public Works Administration project, from 1934 to 1936.

The mill was shut down in April, 1993. In 1997, a restoration effort was begun by the Friends of Peirce Mill (FOPM). The mill was restored with the support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

-- Source

On October 15, 2011, the restored mill was returned to operation. "An estimated 2,000 people attended the “Heritage Day” festivities October 15 celebrating the re-opening of the mill. Grain was run through the millstones publicly for the first time since the mill broke down in 1993, as crowds enjoyed beautiful autumn weather, listened to old time folk music and spirituals, watched masons and blacksmiths ply their trades, and in some instances built their own walls and cabins (the latter activities involved children happy to play with Lincoln Logs and stack stones). The Guest Services company provided delicious Brunswick stew, cornbread and cider."

-- Source

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit and a brief description of your experience and any additional information you may have about the waterwheel, its current condition, etc. We would very much like at least one original photo from your visit, but it is not absolutely necessary.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Working Water Wheels
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
Don.Morfe visited Peirce Mill Water Wheel - Washington, D.C. 05/29/2022 Don.Morfe visited it
Searcher28 visited Peirce Mill Water Wheel - Washington, D.C. 09/08/2013 Searcher28 visited it

View all visits/logs